Not surprisingly, the body's most mobile joint is also the one that is most frequently dislocated. A sudden blow or a fall can cause this condition. When this happens, you usually know. The pain can be severe.

In some individuals, shoulder dislocation continues to happen — creating what is called an "unstable" shoulder.

Shoulder dislocations and separations most frequently happen in younger, athletic individuals. Having had a shoulder dislocation also puts you at higher risk for redislocation. The younger you are when you first dislocate your shoulder, the higher the chance that it will happen again.